On behalf of the World Academy we would like to convey our condolences for the tragic loss of lives and devastating destruction caused by the earthquake and the tsunami. Our thoughts and hearts are with you. We hope you, your family and your friends are safe and all of you will overcome this calamity. Wishing you all the best,

Thank you so much for your concern about us in Japan. As a dormant member of the WAAS I wish to tell you that many colleagues in the Japanese academia, especially in Sendai, have been struck by the Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown. A young colleague I know well is trying to find a place to live far from the radioactively dangerous zone because of his baby son. This is only one case among so many others. I can, nevertheless assure you that the academia in Japan is resilient enough to mobilize its intellectual creativity in view of enabling Japan to build itself again from the bottom where it fell now. We will try again to develop Japan as we did after the defeat of 1945.

Respectfully yours,

Kinhide Mushakoji

From: Yoshihiko Nakamura Professor, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo To: Trustees WAAS

March 22, 2011 11:26 AM

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words to support us and people who suffered from the historical disaster in JapanI am extremely sad to know the number of people who were lost and the width and depth of the damaged area. The damaged area by tsunami includes those which were famous for the beauty of natural coast line and agricultural landscape, which will take many years to recover. I am also praying that the damage of our colleagues and friends if any is minimum. I am also optimistic and expect that Japan will accelerate the change of its systems of politics, economy, environments, society, and scientific research in a way that it would have otherwise taken a long time or never happen.